Argentina should release editor accused of sedition

New
York, December 18, 2013--Argentine authorities should immediately release a journalist
who has been detained for more than a week and accused of sedition, the
Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

Juan
Pablo Suárez, editor of the news website Ultima Hora, was arrested on
December 9 in the northern province of Santiago del Estero, two hours after he had
filmed the arrest of a
local police officer, according to local reports. The officer, who was protesting
for a salary increase, was attacked by police officers and pushed into a police
vehicle, according to press reports. He is still in
custody.

Sandra
Wede, Suárez's wife and owner of Ultima Hora, said that 40 police
officers raided the outlet's
offices, seized notebooks, a computer, documents, and a camera, and arrested the
journalist. Suárez's lawyer told journalists that he had been detained solely
for filming the police officer's protest. The video was published on Ultima
Hora.

"It is ludicrous
that a journalist be accused of sedition and spend nine days in jail solely for
filming a protest and arrest," said Carlos Lauría, CPJ's senior Americas
program coordinator. "We urge Argentine authorities to drop the absurd accusations
against Juan Pablo Suárez and release him immediately."

Gabriel
Levinas, a reporter with Radio Mitre and editor of the news website Plazademayo, told CPJ that Suárez
was accused of inciting society to chaos. According to Levinas, who had access
to Suárez's file, there was no evidence to support the allegations.

Last
week, police conducted widespread strikes in several Argentine provinces,
demanding a raise in salary, press reports said. The violence left
at least 13 people dead.